Vitamin C and flavonoids

Vitamin C and flavonoids are often associated with each other. This is because flavonoids which refer to some 4,000 antioxidant compounds that is the cause for the color and a number of health benefits of fruits, vegetables and herbs helps in the absorption of vitamin C in the body. In short, flavonoids make vitamin C even more effective. Essential flavonoids include quercetin, rutin, genistin, grape seed extract and naringen.

It is also more practical to use the combination supplement since you won’t have to buy many pills. And the combination of vitamin C and flavonoids have cured numerous ailments such as sprains and strains to cancer prevention.

The benefits that you can derive from vitamin C and flavonoids are varied. Vitamin C helps in the following:

- Vitamin C is vital for the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue, neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, carnitine, conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and increases iron availability. It is also an antioxidant and protect the body against pollutants.

- Vitamin C is a biological reducing agent that aids in preventing degenerative diseases such as cancers, cataracts and cardiovascular diseases.

- It also supports healthy cell development, proper calcium absorption, normal tissue growth and repair, aids in prevention of blood clot and bruising and strengthens capillary walls.

- Vitamin C is important for healthy gums, protects against infection and clear up infections, improve immune system, decrease cholesterol levels and high blood pressure and prevents arteriosclerosis.

Flavonoids on the other hand have the following health-promoting benefits:

- Flavonoids increases the action of vitamin C. That is why taking vitamin C and flavonoids together are highly recommended.

- It is effective as pain reliever, lessens the symptoms of : prolonged bleeding, low serum calcium and oral herpes.

- It is vital in preserving structures of capillaries, have antibacterial effect and supports circulation. It aids in the production of bile, reducing blood cholesterol levels and in preventing and treating cataracts.

- It increases the absorption of vitamin C.

- Vitamin C and flavonoids help maintain the thin walls of capillaries to prevent bleeding and bruising.

- Flavonoids are associated with antibacterial effect, promotes circulation and fights allergies and others.

When either vitamin C or flavonoids nutrient are used in high dosage, caution must be exercised. In using vitamin C and flavonoids as treatment, refer to the following recommended dosages:

To treat ADHD, take 1,000 mg of vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg every morning.

To treat acute bronchitis, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg twice daily.

To treat chronic bronchitis, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg once a day.

To prevent cancer, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg twice daily.

To treat canker sores, take 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C and flavonoids of 25-500 mg three times daily.

To treat cold sores, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg three times daily.

To treat earache, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg three times daily until infection clears.

To treat gum disease, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg once a day.

To treat hemorrhoids, take 750-1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 250-500 mg three times daily.

To treat impotence, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg once a day.

To treat rosacea, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500-650 mg twice daily.

To treat shingles, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg three times daily if acute.

To treat sinusitis, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg three times daily.

To treat strains and sprains, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg three times daily.

To treat varicose veins, take 1,000 mg vitamin C and flavonoids of 500 mg twice daily.

Flavonoids

You’ve probably heard of antioxidants before. Antioxidants act as cell protectors. The air we breathe contains Oxygen which is an essential element of life. However, Oxygen can also be damaging to our body. It creates by-products, called free radicals, which can be damaging during normal cellular metabolism. If left unchecked, free radicals may cause anything from heart damage, cataracts, and even cancer because they can weaken our body’s immune system. To counteract these free radicals before they can do damage to the cell, antioxidants bind with them.

Antioxidants come in several forms – Vitamin C, Vitamin E, carotenoids, and flavonoids. Next to Vitamin C, flavonoids are the most important antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. But what exactly are flavonoids?

Flavonoids: An Introduction

In organic chemistry, flavonoids are described as polyphenolic compounds possessing 15 carbon atoms; two benzene rings joined by linear three carbon chain. So flavonoids are carbon-based elements. That means they’re organic. No wonder flavonoids constitute one of the most characteristic classes of compound sin higher plants. You can easily recognize many flavonoids as flower pigments in most angiosperm families or flowering plants. However, flavonoids do not only occur in flowers, but in all parts of the plant, namely, the fruit, stem, seeds, leaves, and even roots.

How are Flavonoids Good for You?

More and more researchers are beginning to probe into the once-hidden depths of foods and they’re discovering that vitamins and minerals aren’t all there is to it. Flavonoids, they discovered, or bioflavonoids as some like to refer to them, are perhaps one of the largest group of “other” nutrients Researchers have identified more than 4,000 of these organic substances in plants.

Like carotenes, flavonoids are plant pigments. They are the substances that give plants their various colors. And like carotenes, many flavonoids are antioxidants and they help protect plants from damaging free radicals. One distinct difference is that flavonoids are water soluble while carotenes are oil soluble.

Flavonoids and the French Paradox

If you still haven’t figured out how flavonoids can do for your health, then take the “French Paradox” as a clue. The paradox of the French is that they eat almost four times more butter and three times more lard than Americans do. This means that compared to Americans, the French have higher cholesterol levels and blood pressures. Yet, the French are 2.5 times less likely to die of coronary heart disease than the average American. Now why is that?

Many people have suggested that the answer lies in the French liberal consumption of red wine, a substance rich in beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids that protect against coronary heart disease and apparently lowers down cholesterol levels. In addition, flavonoids in French red wine can also prevent abnormal blood clots, thus reducing the risk of heart angina or atherosclerosis. In fact, at least eight medical studies have found that a glass or two of wine daily protects against heart disease.

Flavonoids for Long Life

Ever wonder why Asians have apparently longer lifespan than Westerns? Most attribute it to the Asian’s propensity to drink tea. The Chinese especially are fond of herbal teas, such as the common green tea and black tea. Apparently, these two teas contains about 25-30 per cent flavonoids, including quercetin and gallic esters. Like those in grapes and other fruits and vegetables, they also protect against heart disease.

Quercetin

Quercetin is the primary ingredient in apples which makes the fruit essential for good health. It can also be found in black tea and onions. Quercetin is a type of flavonoid or plant pigment that is used as a building block for the other components of the flavonoid family.

Quercetin is good at treating a number of ailments such as asthma, cancer and heart disease. It serves as an antioxidant; it fights off the ‘free radical’ molecules that are the cause for a host of diseases. People who constantly use quercetin and other flavonoids as part of their diet have shown lower percentages of stomach, lung, pancreatic and breast cancers. Quercetin stops the buildup of a certain type of blood sugar that causes the cataract formation the lens of the eye.

Latest medical findings about quercetin and other flavonoids also support the fact they help to prevent heart attacks. In 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the Rotterdam Study that scrutinized the tea-drinking habits and the daily dietary flavonoid of the almost 5,000 adults in Holland. The black tea’s high flavonoid concentration was found to have decreased the chances of heart attack as an overall result of those tea drinkers if the brew was consumed daily. In women, studies have pointed to the fact that there is a strong link between high intake of flavonoids and the decrease risk of heart attack. The researchers believe that the extra protection against heart attack in women could be attributed to the heart-protective benefits of phytoestrogens or plant estrogens which pertain to the main role flavonoids’ play. These benefits are similar to that of soy.

Quercetin is perceived to have the following health benefits:

* It decreases risk of cancer. A study conducted revealed that the prevalence of lung cancer is lower among those people who ate the most apples compared to those who ate the least. Quercetin and other flavonoids also lower the chances of stomach, pancreatic and breast cancer.

* It prevents heart attack by stopping the overgrowth of cells that damage the heart. One of the reasons for developing heart disease is the overgrowth of smooth muscle cells in artery walls.

* It blocks sorbitol, a type of sugar that causes cataract formation.

* It regulates asthma by reducing the inflammation in the airways and blocks the release of histamine which is the reason for congestion.

* Quercetin being a natural anti-inflammatory, maintains health by combating the effects of Crohn’s disease which is the chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

* It prevents continuous gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels if taken with cherry fruit extract, vitamin C and fish oils.

* Quercetin accelerates healing of repeated heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) because of its anti-inflammatoru, antihistsamine and inhibitor of Helicobacter pylori which is the bacterium linked with stomach ulcers that causes heartburn.

Quercetin comes in tablet or capsules. It is often combined with another flavonoid rutin. And quercetin is also paired with bromelain, an anti-inflammatory derived from pineapples. Quercetin combined with vitamin c increases the effectiveness of Vitamin C.

To get the most out of quercetin, the following formulations are suggested:

To lower cancer risk, take 125-250 mg daily.
To prevent heart attack, take 125-250 mg daily.
To prevent cataracts, take 125-250 mg daily.
To treat asthma, take 250-500 mg. 3 times daily.
To treat Crohn’s disease, take 400 mg 3 times daily.
To treat persistent gout attacks, take 500 mg twice daily.
To treat heartburn, take 500 mg 3 times daily mixed with bioflavonoids (bromelain optional)

Hawthorn

Known by several names, the Hawthorn tree first became popular when it was used as the badge of the Ogilvies. Yet, even before that, the tree was revered as sacred as it was traditionally believed to be the tree that furnished Christ’s Crown of Thorns. A tree that commonly blooms in May, it is also sometimes referred to as “Mayblossom” or simply “May.”

England’s Henry VII used the Hawthorn bush as his device because a small crown from the helmet of Richard III was discovered hanging on it after the battle of Bosworth. This became the source of the popular saying: “Cleve to thy Crown though it hangs on a bush.”

Other names for this tree include Quick, Thorn, Whitethorn, Haw, Hazels, Gazels, Halves, Hagthorn, Ladie’s Meat, and Bread and Cheese Tree. Germans call it Hagedorn while the French bestow upon it a more noble title “L’epine noble” (The Noble Spine).

The Plant

Hawthorn is known in scientific communities as Crataegus oxyacantha. It belongs to the plant family, N.O. Rosaceae. The name of the Hawthorn plant is derived from the Greek words “kratos”, meaning hardness (of the wood), “oxcus” (sharp), and “akantha” (a thorn). From a very early period, the Germans used the Hawthorn plant to divide their land into small plots using this plant, which they call “Hagedorn” (Hedgethorn). Interestingly, the alternate name for Hawthorn is “Haw” which is an old word for “hedge.”

Hawthorn trees usually grow up to a height of 30 feet and live to a great age. Each Hawthorn blossom contains a single seed-vessel producing a separate fruits. When the fruits mature, they turn a brilliant red, making some wonder how they resemble a miniature stony apple. People of some districts call the mealy red fruits of the Hawthorn tree as Pixie Pears, Cuckoo’s Beads, and Chucky Cheese.

Carrion insects are mostly the ones that fertilize the flowers. The reason for this is that the Hawthorn blooms exude a scent that suggests of decomposition, thus attracting these insects that would normally lay their eggs and hatch out their larvae in decaying animal matter.

Health Benefits

Since the ancient times, Hawthorn has been used by the Greeks as a medicine. Herbalists used extracts from Hawthorn leaves for the treatment of heart problems such as angina, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure. Hawthorn was also used as an effective deterrent against the occurrence of a heart attack. Today, recent studies have show considerable evidence that the herb may have some positive effects for angina and heart disease.

The main constituents attributed with all the healing properties of Hawthorn are its variety of bioflavonoids and flavonoids. These include oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs), vitexin, vitexin 4’-O-rhamnoside, quercetin, and hyperoside.

Hawthorn is said to primarily affect the circulatory system, specifically the heart and blood vessels. The abundance of flavonoids and bioflavonoids in Hawthorn makes it effective in improving coronary artery blood flow and strengthening the contractions of the heart muscle.

Researchers have examined the plant and its effects on blood pressure. Results from their clinical trials have confirmed that hawthorn leaf and flower extracts are beneficial for people with early-stage heart disease.

Buying Information

The part of the Hawthorn plant used for medicinal purposes are the leaves, flowers, and berry fruits so be sure to look for all three or either of that when you buy hawthorn supplements. A normal safe dose is 80-300 mg hawthorn capsules or tablets. Traditionally, 4-5 ml tincture taken three times a day has been used.